


Feel New Skin

by enigmaticblue



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-05
Updated: 2011-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-14 10:41:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/148385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One way Ashley’s first time could have gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel New Skin

“You can’t go to college a virgin!” Madison protested vehemently during one of their last nights together. “You’ve barely even fooled around.”

 

Ashley winced. It was true; she hadn’t progressed much beyond heavy petting at the occasional party she went to with Madison and Jenny, both of whom had older siblings who could wrangle invitations for the three of them.

 

And Madison and Jenny, her two best friends, had both had sex with their boyfriends in the last few months. Their pitying looks were beginning to get on Ashley’s last nerve. Ashley thought she was probably better prepared for sex than either of the other girls had been, because her mom was _way_ more practical.

 

Her mom had given her all the details she’d ever requested and, when Ashley turned 16, left a box of condoms on her bedside table without another word. When Ashley hadn’t been able to resist asking her mom about it later, her mom had said, “If I can give you one piece of advice for your first time, make sure you’re friends first and lovers second. Experimentation is all well and good, and sex can be a pleasant physical exercise and nothing more—but that first time, make sure it’s with a friend.”

 

Ashley might not have taken the advice so much to heart, except that her mom got a little choked up, and blinked rapidly, and then said she had pressing business elsewhere.

 

But the whole “be friends first” thing wasn’t terribly helpful advice in one respect: Ashley didn’t have a lot of guys who were also friends that she liked in _that_ way. She’d gone to an exclusive all-girls high school, and the few guys she knew were either intimidated by her, or showed off in a really unattractive way.

 

And while Ashley didn’t really want to go to college, her mom was insisting. “I don’t care what you study,” she’d said. “You can find a school where you can learn about ballistics—or get a degree in physics—but you _will_ go to university.

 

Ashley argued with her mom a lot, but never when she took _that_ tone, and she could see the appeal of getting a degree in physics or chemistry—something that would aid her work at the Sanctuary, which is all she really wanted to do.

 

So, that left her with Madison and Jenny insisting that she get rid of her virginity before she went off to college, and not a lot of time to get it done. Ashley thought they might actually be right—it would be a lot harder to confess to being a virgin in college than it was in high school, and if she knew what to expect—

 

Well, it might make things a little easier. She was a big enough freak already; she didn’t need to add “blushing virgin” to the list.

 

That left exactly one guy.

 

Ashley wiped her sweaty palms on the seat of her jeans and knocked on Henry’s door briskly, telling herself that it didn’t matter if he said no. She could probably find someone else to help her out—maybe Madison’s older brother, who was single and had always been pretty nice.

 

“Come in!”

 

She opened the door to find Henry in his usual position, sprawled out on his bed, comic book in hand. He was older than her by a good bit, but he always seemed younger than his years with his comic book obsession and slight awkwardness around anyone who wasn’t family. Ashley knew that her mom had found him running wild, and that it had taken years of tutoring to get him up to speed.

 

Henry had always been kind to her, though. He’d never made Ashley feel as though she was tagging along, or unwelcome.

 

“Hey,” she began, closing the door behind her. “I wanted to ask you something.”

 

Henry put his comic book aside, catching her cue that this was going to be a serious conversation. “Yeah, what’s up, Ashley?” He grinned. “You need a little brotherly advice?”

 

Ashley grimaced. “Not exactly. I need your help.”

 

His expression grew serious. “Anything. You know that.”

 

“I don’t want to be a virgin when I go to college in two weeks.”

 

Henry blinked. “Okay, you know, when I said _anything_ , what I meant was anything I could help you with that wouldn’t make your mom _kill me._ ”

 

“She wouldn’t kill you,” Ashley shot back, dismissing his concerns with a wave of her hand. “And if it’s not you, I’ll get Madison’s brother to help me out.”

 

“Dirk?” Henry demanded, his eyebrows going up. “You’d get that meat head to—” He rose from the bed. “I’m not sure we should even be having this conversation.”

 

“My mom said the first time should be with a friend,” Ashley continued. “And I trust you.”

 

She knew exactly how to get under Henry’s defenses.

 

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. “Seriously? You ask me?”

 

“You’re my friend.”

 

“You’re practically my sister!”

 

Ashley took a step closer. “But I’m not your sister.”

 

For a moment, Henry appeared torn. “Ashley—”

 

She took her opening and moved in, pressing her lips to his, using every trick she’d learned during those half-drunken hookups. Henry kissed back for a few seconds before pulling back, holding his hands up. “Whoa. Wait a minute. This is a _really_ bad idea.”

 

Ashley dove back in. Kissing Henry was different than the other guys at the parties. He wasn’t trying to play tonsil-hockey for one thing, and his hands stayed on her shoulders. It wasn’t like kissing her brother, though—there was still heat there.

 

“It’s a one time thing, Henry,” Ashley coaxed. “It’s just one friend helping another friend out.” At the look of panic in his eyes, her mouth dropped open. “You haven’t done this either.”

 

“I haven’t exactly had the chance!” Henry shot back defensively.

 

“So, now we both can say that we have,” Ashley argued. “Come on. I’m doing this with or without you.”

 

Henry’s hands were still on her shoulders, warm and gripping tightly. “What if your mom finds out?”

 

“My mom put a box of condoms on my bed two years ago,” Ashley replied. “I think she’ll deal.”

 

A reluctant grin played around the corners of Henry’s mouth. “Yeah, she did the same thing for me when I was 14.”

 

“Fourteen?” Ashley asked. “She waited until I was 16.”

 

“She was still early for both of us,” Henry offered.

 

“True enough.” Ashley hooked her fingers through the belt loops on Henry’s cargo pants. “So, are you game?”

 

Henry shook his head, glancing away for a moment. “Fine, but let’s just see where this goes, okay? We don’t have to make any decisions now.”

 

Ashley didn’t reply with words; she was a hell of a lot better with actions anyway. Henry got into the kiss soon enough, and Henry ran his hands down her arms and then gripped her hips.

 

Henry’s lips were sweet from the soda he’d been drinking, and his kiss was just a little bit tentative. Ashley nudged him back towards his bed, and soon they were both stretched out side by side.

 

When Henry palmed her breast, Ashley arched into the touch. “Is that okay?” he asked.

 

“Yeah. Don’t stop.”

 

“Oh, good.”

 

Their shirts came off, and Ashley began to unbutton her jeans.

 

“Wait,” Henry protested. “I don’t actually have any condoms.”

 

Ashley frowned. “I thought—”

 

“Yeah, I threw those out.” Henry was adorably flustered. “I kind of lost hope.”

 

Ashley was momentarily stymied. “Okay, so we—stop?”

 

“God, no,” Henry replied. “Just—do you trust me?”

 

“Duh.”

 

“Okay, it’s my first time, and your first time, so all we really have to worry about is pregnancy.”

 

Ashley felt her eyes go wide.

 

“Which won’t be a problem, because I’m going to make sure of it,” Henry finished in a rush. “Or we could just fool around.”

 

Ashley didn’t think that qualified her to get out of the virgin club. “No, we got this far. We’re going all the way.”

 

“Then trust me.” Henry pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and finished undressing, while Ashley shimmied out of her jeans.

 

Ashley wasn’t sure what to expect, but Henry swirled his tongue around her left nipple while one hand traveled farther south. Ashley hadn’t been prepared for someone else’s fingers; it felt strange, but good, and she murmured directions based on what she’d learned from her own explorations.

 

When she came around his fingers, Henry said, “I’m going to do it now while you’re relaxed, okay?”

 

Ashley nodded. “Yeah. Now.”

 

He began pressing inside her slowly, carefully, his forehead furrowed in concentration. “I’m not going to last long,” he warned her.

 

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “Do what you have to do. I’m good.”

 

There was pain, but it was bearable. She was too relaxed to tense up at the intrusion, or the fullness, and Henry thrust slowly once, twice, before he pulled out and finished himself up in a couple of quick strokes.

 

Ashley was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and so was Henry. They lay next to each other, panting slightly, and then they turned to look at each other at the same time.

 

They both grinned.

 

“That was…” Ashley began.

 

“Kind of awesome,” Henry said. “Was it okay for you?”

 

Ashley smiled. She felt relaxed and warm, and like she finally understood what it was all about. “Yeah. Better than okay.”

 

Henry’s grin grew a little uncertain. “Still think you made the right call?”

 

Ashley thought about her mom’s advice, that her first time should be with a friend, and she thought she understood why. “Definitely. Are we good?”

 

“Always,” Henry assured her.

 

Ashley pressed a kiss to his bicep. “I should finish packing.”

 

“Yeah, you should since you’re leaving in a few days.” Henry grinned at her. “You left it to last minute, didn’t you?”

 

Ashley rose and began to collect her clothing. “I have no idea why I’m even going to college. This is Mom’s dream, not mine.”

 

“You’re doing it because it’ll make your mom happy, and because it won’t hurt you.”

 

“It might,” Ashley grumbled as she pulled her t-shirt on over her head. “Maybe if I flunk out—”

 

“You hate failing,” Henry pointed out.

 

“You know me that well,” Ashley teased.

 

Henry smiled. “Damn right I do.” He paused. “We’re all going to miss you.”

 

“Yeah, same here, but I’ll be back for breaks.” Ashley hesitated, and then she pressed a kiss to Henry’s cheek. “See you tomorrow?”

 

“Absolutely. Let me know if you have any other problems you need help with—preferably computer stuff.”

 

Ashley laughed. “You got it.”

 

She stepped out into the hall and took a deep breath, feeling new all over.


End file.
